Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-22
EARLY HISTORY.
A Romantic Story Cleaned in Jack
son County.

/
From the Athens (Gd.) Banner Waterman.
! While on late visit TO Jackson county
we learned quite a romantic and interest
| ing addends 10 its history.
In the early settlement OF Georgia that
entire strip OF country extending from
| the southern boundaries of Wilkes to the
! Blue Ridge range in Habersham was en-
! braced in the territory OF Wilkes county,
| with the town OF Washington as its capt.
/ tai. 1t was only the southern part. how
/ ever, that was under the domination of
/ the pale face, for, from the Cherokee Cor
! ward, was governed by the In
| dians. But gradually the onward
/ march OF civilization thinned out and
! drove back the red men, and at last
| enough toothOld and population was gain
| ed in the wilderness 20 authorize the
creation Of another county, named Frank
| lin, and with Gainesville as Its court
house. The new county embraced all
| that part of Wilkes lying north OF line
J running from the confluence of Broad and
| Savannah rivers to Cherokee Corner.
Afterward other dismem berments took
| place, resulting In the creation OF the
counties of Ebert, Jackson, Habersham,
Banks and Hart. tae two latter being the
newest counties.
Jackson was made county in 1916, at
least the first court was held that year.
The county site was near the Tallahassee
shoals, on the Oconee river, but was after
ward moved to the centre of the county
the present thriving little city of Jcffer-
son. The third court house is now stand
ing IN Jefferson. The first was of logs
and the other two OF brick. This place
was selected for the county town from the
Tact that from time immemOrial it has
been iavorite resort with the Indians,
who held their war and green corn dances
around the town spring, under d big oak,
and after the invasion OF the whites it
was trading post.
But to return to our narrative. Among
| the gallant French officers who came
! over with Lafayette to assist us to bat.
| tie for American independence was the
Count d'EsIang. The Count belonged to
noble family, but he was wild and ad-
venturous and if report be credited his
career was far from a spotless one. 1t
was said that he was the captain of
band Of pirates that ravaged the coasts
both OF Europe and America, and that he
was as cruel and daring as brave. The
noble name of d Estang, however, was
his protection. for it would have been
dangerous declaration to charge with
crime man OF such prominence and
| power.
lue anu PROJECT vi
Marquis d'Lafayette exactly suited the
| adventurous and rowing disposition of
d'Estang. 1t 10 matter of doubt, how
ever, whether be was actuated by the
same noble sentiments that made Latay-
cite take up arms in defense of brave
people struggling for independence, as by
d thirst for excitement and adventure.
Be it as it may, there was not more gal
liant officer in the American army than
ant - CT nd ut hnf
Yorktown he commanded the French
troops, and to their valiant services on
that day is the great victory largely at
tributable.
In recognition of their services, at the
close of the war grateful people having
no money or distinctive honUrs with
which to reward the heroic strangers who
came to their assistance, gave them that
which they had. Congress voted to lend
PEstang large belt of land beginning
in what is now Clarke county, Ca, and
including Habersham, Jackson, Banks,
| Franklin, Hart and the upper portion of
| Ebert. The grant to this land should
be now on file at Washington, Ga, and
tracts chopped from it are recorded in
nearly all the counties named. This
| land then had little financial value, but
| Count d'Estang portiOned a part of it
| out to his friends and kindred, who
moved to Georgia and settled there
| on. These new corners belonged
| to the best families Of France, and to
their presence is attributed the exalted
and enylable position that this section OF
| Georgia so rapidly assumed and has
| always maintained, both In war and
| peace. Many of the descendants of these
| people are still among us, and while by
| intermarrIage their names are changed,
| you can see in their faces to this day I'M
| mistakable evidences of the presence OF
! French blood. The DeLaperriers Of Jack
son county is one of the few family
names lett to US, but there are hundreds
! of others living in Clarke, OcOnee, Jack =
son and Franklin, in whose veins flow
| the same blood as this brave French ad-
yenturer. Mrs. Reese, of this city, is
lineal descendant of Count d'Estange, as
likewise many Others we can name.
But on the cessation of hostilities the
restless spirit OF the Count could not be
stilled, and il ancient rumors can be
| credited he embarked in a career even as
| bloody and lawless as when he COM
manded fleet of pirates on the Spanish
Main. 1t has always been charged-and
| 1t is said with good grounds too-that
Count d'Estang was the head centre OF
! Murrelfs band of murderers and free
| hooters, that TOR SO long time kept in
terror the States south of and including
Kentucky. In every State and county
were branches OF th is band of outlaws
i and there was strong or organization OF
them in Clarke and jackson counties GA.
In fact, Murrell's capture was effected by
a man from jackson county, who joined
the band, took the prescribed oaths, got
into the confidence OF the chief and then
betrayed him. The initiation into this
band was that the applicant for mem ber-
/ ship should stain his hands with human
! blood, but somehow the Jackson county
| detective got that part OF the ceremony
omitted.
The above story was CLEANED from the
older citizens Of jackson county last
week. Of course there is nothing au.
thentic TO fix any connection with the
Murrell band on Count PEstang save
vague reports that are now hoary with
age. That this brave French officer once
owned our entire belt of country, and that
he won it by unsheathing his sword in
ala of brave and patriotic people strug-
Cling for their independence is a matter
OF record.